Articles Archive for March 2016

Thing is, he’s “a New York hero in those working-class boroughs.” Hey, in working-class boroughs and neighborhoods all over the land. I heard it from my Chicago precinct door-knocker: She’s all in for local Dems, but presidentially speaking, forget about it. All it took was a plain-talking son of a b—h to win loyalty of … Continue reading Trump could win NY in the general?→

He’ll have to inspire police and discipline rogue officers while making nice with U.S. Department of Justice probers and aldermen. And he’ll have to do all that while keeping Mayor Rahm Emanuel happy.

Is veteran Chicago police official Eddie Johnson the guy to do that as the city’s new top cop? We’re all going to find out quite soon as the weather—and gang member shooting season—heats up. It could be a bumpy ride.

In circumventing the Chicago Police Board and officially naming Johnson interim superintendent Monday afternoon, Emanuel made it clear that he expects Johnson to stick around for a while in the top job.

Johnson, of course, will have to apply and go through another of those “nationwide searches” the board likes to make if he wants the job on a permanent basis. But while the mayor certainly wants to see how well Johnson performs in the Laquan McDonald era, the spot likely is his to lose.

“I offered the job only to one person,” Emanuel put it. “At this point and time and juncture, he is the man.”

Initial reaction is good. An odd combination of black and Hispanic aldermen, civil rights leaders such as the Rev. Michael Pfleger and the Fraternal Order of Police were quick to laud him as someone who could inspire officers while working closely with local communities.

Johnson, who lived in the Cabrini-Green area before moving to and staying in Washington Heights, nodded at all of that, and did so in a convincing, tough-but-not-too-tough manner.

The key word is “trust,” he told reporters. “We have to own it,” and the only way to do that is to build bridges to community groups while keeping police professional. “It won’t happen overnight.”

What would he say to young African-American who have been on a killing rampage in recent years? “They are destroying our communities. They are destroying our city,” he replied. “This has to stop.”

Johnson, 55, started as a beat cop in 1988, working his way up to chief of the patrol division, the department’s largest. Not much is known about Johnson personally, but the father of three adult children and grandfather of one is engaged to be married again. He is reported to be a “die-hard” White Sox fan.

The big question: Can an insider like him really change the culture of the department?

“Because I’m an insider, I can fix things from the inside out,” he answered. “We know we have some challenges. We have some things to fix.”

I’m not sure I buy Johnson’s explanation about why he didn’t apply for the job previously and go through the first Police Board vetting process. (Then-Interim Superintendent John Escalante was interested, and deserved a clean shot, Johnson said.) But then, if there’s anything I never believe about anyone in public life, it’s what they say about their future career ambitions.

Meanwhile, there are solid things in Johnson’s record. Such as a reported 32 percent reduction in gun violence in the central area when he led police there. And others in the front line keep saying nice things about him. Such as CeaseFire Illinois, the anti-violence group, which termed him “highly experienced and well-respected.”

Chits like that will be nice to have when times get tough. And that could be any day.

Usually it’s children first. This time not so much. “I would submit that we have an obligation to side with the majority,” CTU vice president Jesse Sharkey said on a conference call with members before last week’s delegate vote. “If you personally disagree, you have to stick with them … it’s something we all have … Continue reading Unions eat their own sometimes . . . →